Bonfire Heart
by r2roswell
Summary: So I know this is way past Valentine's Day but I figured I'd still post it. Castle surprises Beckett in a big day for Valentine's Weekend.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch. 1**

It didn't escape Beckett's mind as to what day it was, the day before Valentine's. Much to her dismay Castle had pleaded with her boss, the day before, a Thursday, to give her Friday off. She had all ready used up every last one of her days in trying to find Castle and the boys had been generous to give her some of theirs. So when she found out that Castle had gone directly to Gates to ask she had been mortified.

_She had wanted to storm into the office but the boys stood in her way._

_"What the hell is he doing," Beckett had asked, "And what are you guys up to?"_

_"Sorry can't say," said Ryan._

_"Castle promised us box seats to the next Rangers game," Esposito._

_"Since when do you guys like hockey?" she asked, knowing them to be more baseball and basketball fans._

_"Are you kidding," said Esposito, "A bunch of guys ramming each other into boards, heavy hitting, what's not to like?"_

_"Not to mention the sounds," said Ryan. Esposito shot his partner a look, "What the sounds of the skates along with the sound of a stick slapping a puck is kind of cool."_

_"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Esposito told Beckett._

_"Are you done stalling," asked Beckett._

_"Nope, not letting you in there," said Ryan._

_"You know I could probably take you both right," Beckett told them._

_"In front of Gates' office," Esposito shot, "Yeah good luck with that."_

_Beckett looked at the boys and then toward Gates who was still talking with Castle. She weighed her options._

_"Okay fine, you win this time," Beckett said making her way back to her desk._

_The boys smiled but neither of them moved from their post._

_A few minutes later the door to Gate's office opened and Castle handed two cards to the boys._

_"Thank you fella's. Call this guy. He'll have you all set."_

_"You're the man, Castle," said Ryan._

_"Thanks Bro."_

_"But seriously guys," said Castle, "Can you ever do me a solid without asking for something in return?"_

_"And miss out on torturing you like this," said Esposito, "Not a chance."_

_"Well I might," said Ryan, "but only because you're family now."_

_Esposito slapped Ryan's arm, "Dude?"_

_"What the guy is practically our brother-in-law."_

_"And what kind of younger brothers would we be if we didn't take advantage?" Esposito said as the boys walked back to their desks._

_With the boys taken care of Castle walked over to his chair at Beckett's desk._

_"So are you gonna tell me what's going on?" Beckett asked her mysterious husband._

_"As a matter of fact, yes," said Castle, "Gate's cleared it so you can have the whole weekend off including tomorrow."_

_"Castle, what did you do- how did you-?"_

_"I got Karpowski to cover for you. Granted you'll have to work three days for her on Saint Patrick's Day but trust me honey, this will so be worth the trade."_

_"I don't know whether to kill you right now for meddling with Gates or be proud?"_

_"There's always door number three."_

_"Oh yeah and that would be?"_

_"Loving me because I'm such an awesome husband."_

_"Yeah right now that's debatable."_

_"Just wait till the weekend then you'll change your mind."_

_Beckett smiled and shook her head, "Castle, seriously, what are you doin'?"_

_"I am making the most of our Valentine's."_

_"It's not until Saturday."_

_"Doesn't mean a guy can't start planning early."_

_Castle stood up and placed a kiss on his wife's forehead. "Now I will see you later. You've got work to finish up and I've got plans to make."_

* * *

Beckett didn't want to be disturbed. On her day off, a day that Castle had pleaded with Gates for, all she wanted now was to sleep in but that didn't seem like much of an option. She could feel Castle hovering above her.

"Beckett," Castle whispered, "Beckett wake up."

"Why," Beckett whined, her eyes still closed.

"It's Valentine's Day-Eve," said Castle as if that were a real thing.

Christmas Eve, Hallows Eve, sure but Valentine's Day Eve? Not likely.

"That's not a thing."

"Well I'm making it a thing so, it's time to get up."

"Castle, it's five in the morning."

"I know, rooster crowing time, come on."

There was no way he was going to shut up. Beckett turned over from her position on her right side and moved to her back, her eyes now open.

"This better be good, Castle."

He smiled at her, "Trust me it is."

As Beckett's eyes adjusted she could see that he was all ready dressed in a button down shirt and jeans.

"How long have you been up?"

"Since four. I was going to wake you but I thought better of it."

"Smart man."

Castle shrugged, "I have my moments but you're awake now so come on, up, up, up," Castle said getting off his side of the bed and walking over to Beckett's side.

He took her hands and brought her to a seated position. A pair of jeans and a white cotton shirt was all ready at the foot of the bed, waiting for her.

"I married a crazy man," Beckett said aloud.

"Crazy in love," said Castle.

"Really, that's the line you're going with?"

"Tell you what, you get dressed and I'll go make the coffee," Castle said patting Beckett's legs which were still hidden under the covers.

* * *

"You're all up," Beckett said as she saw Martha and Alexis in the kitchen.

Castle placed a cup of coffee in front of Beckett.

"Dad wanted to make sure we were around for your big send off," said Alexis.

"What big send off," asked Beckett.

"Just part one of your Valentine's Day surprise," said Castle.

"Part of my surprise," said Beckett, "What happened to just spending Valentine's on the actual day it falls on?"

Castle didn't stay to answer the question. Instead he went back to the bedroom.

Alexis smiled, "That was before you married dad," she said to her step-mom, "Now that you're officially a Castle, dad has a different way of thinking."

"Nothing wrong with wanting to spoil my wife on the holiday."

"A holiday invented by the candy company," Beckett teased.

"Buzz kill," said Castle.

Beckett smiled at him and then turned her attention back to Alexis, "What about you, Alexis, any plans for tomorrow?"

"As a matter of fact," said Alexis, "Grams and I are going on a day spa retreat."

"Nothing but mud baths and massages, a day of abstaining from men," Martha said with glee.

Beckett laughed a little and smiled at her girls. She was happy that they would have something to do.

"Speaking of abstaining from men," said Castle as he stood beside Beckett, "We should probably leave if we're going to catch our flight."

"Flight," said Beckett, "Rick what are you not telling me?"

"Oh so very much, so, so very much. And don't even try to get it out of me because I'm not telling."

"You sure about that," said Beckett, "I am a master interrogator."

"Not gonna happen babe," Castle said with a smile, Beckett having used those very words on him once.

Beckett bit the inside of her lip and smiled, "I'll get it out of you one way or another."

"Oh so does this mean we'll get to join the mile high club while you try?"

"Dad!"

"Richard!"

Both Alexis and Martha said at the same time.

Beckett looked away to hide her blush but Castle continued to smile.

Castle placed his hand up in a vertical position near his mouth so that his mother and daughter wouldn't see, and only Beckett could. "We'll discuss it," Castle whispered to her.

"Promise," Beckett whispered back.

"Okay you two," said Martha, "Enough whispering. Go on get out of here, have yourselves that romantic Valentine's weekend. God knows you both deserve it."

Martha and Alexis both walked over to Castle and Beckett. Martha hugged her daughter-in-law first while Alexis hugged her father and then shortly after the two switched.

Alexis held back though, telling her dad that "Kate forgot something in the room. She'll just be a minute."

Castle just nodded and left the loft. With him gone, Alexis hugged Beckett.

"Have a good time," said Alexis as they pulled back.

"Thanks."

"Oh and I've all ready put your Valentine's Day present for dad in your one of your large duffle bags. I hid the boxes under a bunch of your clothes that dad had all ready packed."

Beckett's heart skipped a beat. At least she had all ready had the decency to wrap Castle's presents prior to bringing it in the house. It was slightly embarrassing being romantic with her husband in front of family and sometimes at work but she would have passed out had her gift been exposed.

"Thank you for that Alexis," she said.

Alexis laughed, "No problem. You should go, dad's waiting."

"See you both after the weekend then," Beckett said with a smile as she left the loft.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

It was a five hour and twenty minute flight from New York to Bozeman, Montana and then an extra two hours and twenty three minutes from Bozeman to Philipsburg, Montana; the couple having arrived at a little past one in the afternoon.

Beckett couldn't help but marvel at the scenery. The furthest she'd ever been away from New York was Washington, DC where she had been a fed for less than a year. Nature wise the closest she had come was her father's cabin outside the city. Never anything like this, with high mountains in the background and wide open spaces.

Philipsburg was an old mining town from the 1800s with a population of less than nine hundred. Their record high was ninety-eight degrees Fahrenheit for the whole year and a low of negative thirty eight. Their average rain fall was less than sixteen inches in a year.

"So this is where we're staying," Beckett asked Castle as he pulled to a stop in a parking lot along the main road.

It certainly had the feel of an old west kind of town, touristy now and almost similar to the place in Arizona where they had spent part of their honeymoon.

Castle smiled, "This is just a pit stop," he said as the couple made their way into a business called Snookies Mercantile.

It was a small shop filled with a variety of wines. Castle went for the one he was looking for and paid.

"That's all you needed," Beckett said as they walked out.

"That's all," he said not elaborating.

Beckett felt herself getting nervous. She wasn't a fan of her husband's surprises even if they turned out to be surprising in a good way. Still the early wake up call, the first class flight, the trip to Montana of all places and now a trip to a local wine stop- Beckett couldn't tell what to make of Castle's cryptic behavior.

* * *

The trip outside of Philipsburg didn't take long, only a fifteen mile drive but Beckett didn't mind. She was enjoying the ride as a passenger, watching as luscious green hills passed by, some covered with thick trees.

Castle finally made his way onto a gravel pathway which led to a fenced off region. He got out of the car to go unlock and open the fence, got back in the car to drive it through, returned to the fence to make sure it was locked and then got back into the car.

At the end of the pathway was a large upscale five bedroom and three bath with extra loft cabin surrounded by hills and forest and a creek running nearby.

"Welcome to our family retreat, away from all things New York," Castle said with a smile.

"God Castle, I don't even know what to say," said Beckett and she truly didn't. She was too shocked to be mad at him for doing this without her.

"For now, it's our couple's retreat," he added with emphasis.

Beckett smiled back and the two of them got out of the car. The air was completely fresh unlike the smog and toxins back home. It was a mixture of trees, sage, and the creek nearby.

"It's incredible Castle," Beckett said as she took in the breathtaking views, walking closer to the waters' edge. "When did you find the time- how did you do this?"

Castle walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Beckett opened her arms and let Castle place his on her stomach; she then closed her arms so that he was holding her securely.

"Well I know that your dad has a cabin outside the city. I didn't want to just ask him for the keys. Us taking our…naps…in your room didn't seem like the best idea so I figured I would try to find one of our own."

"And that just happened to be close to two-thousand miles away?"

"I was thinking outside the box."

"Yeah ten states outside the box," Beckett said with a smile. "It's perfect, Castle."

"So you're not mad?"

"Not this time," she said as she looked up at him, "only because it's our Valentine's weekend."

Castle leaned down and kissed his wife.

"Want to come inside, tour the house?"

"I've got a better idea," Beckett said with a coy tone in her voice, "Let's tour our bedroom first. The rest of the house can wait."

"Whatever you want Mrs. Castle, that is why we're here."

Beckett smiled and took Castle's hand, the two of them walking to the front door which Castle used a key to open.

Before Beckett could make her way inside, Castle scooped her up in his arms.

"Really, Castle," Beckett said.

"A new cabin deserves a proper christening. Besides, you liked me picking you up this way the last time remember?"

"Yes I do remember except last time what waited on the other door was a rundown single bedroom at a dude ranch."

"Okay true but it wasn't like that on the second part of our honeymoon at that island resort. And if I remember correctly you were more than ready to take the pants off me the second we entered our suite."

"So what should I be expecting this time run down or romantic island resort?"

"See for yourself," Castle said as he opened the door and walked them inside.

* * *

_author's note/disclaimer: while the location is real, I did fictionalize the cabin. While you can rent them in Philipsburg I loved the idea of Castle and Beckett owning their own private cabin so for the sake of fiction the location used is for their fictional cabin._


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

The outside was one thing but the inside was something else entirely.

There would be time for the tour later. Castle made his way through the first floor to their bedroom closing the door behind them.

In the course of five hours they had gone several rounds. They now lay in bed, a fire going in the bedroom fireplace. Beckett's bare leg crossed Castle's still naked torso.

"That was new," said Castle.

"You didn't mind it?"

"Are you kidding we should be more adventurous. We should do those things more often."

Beckett smiled; clearly pleased with herself and the job she and Castle had performed.

"Maybe later we can try-," Beckett said as she toyed her fingers on his bare chest.

"Oh I like that idea. We should definitely do that."

"Okay good."

Castle placed a kiss on Beckett's forehead. "Come on let's go raid the kitchen. I had a buddy of mine stock it so we wouldn't have to do the grocery shopping when we got here. Since we're out in the woods, I'm thinking hot dogs and s'mores."

"The perfect camping food," Beckett said with a smile.

* * *

Within a short time Castle had gotten a fire going in the fire pit outside near the cabin. He and Beckett took their seats on the portable polyester and steel folding chairs, each holding a wired prong that held a hotdog at the end. Their cup holders each held opened beers, Castle not wanting to pull out their recently bought wine just yet. He had bought it for a special occasion; the two of them quietly enjoying their meal without much small talk.

The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the creek running nearby.

Beckett looked up at the sky. You sure didn't get a cloudless night like this in New York. She had never been a nature girl per say but she had never been one to underestimate the aesthetic beauty in it either. The feeling that one could get as they looked to the stars and hear the natural sounds as they remained beneath their sometimes dim, sometimes bright lights, a reminder that whatever lives they led, everything was connected, every atom, every cell, all part of a grander whole that still had yet to be fully understood.

Tonight there were no murders to worry about and if there were, they weren't Beckett's concern. They were in one of the furthest places they could be from home and while she thought of her father, her mother-in-law, and her step-daughter, she could not have been in a better place than where she was right at this very moment: sharing a simple meal of hotdogs and beer under the endless night sky with her husband whom she had been in love with for seven years.

It was their honeymoon, both in Arizona and their island resort all over again minus the solving a murder and minus a horse drawn carriage.

"It's breathtaking, Castle," she said breaking the silence.

In some odd way she felt odd using her voice, almost like the sound of it disturbed the night somehow.

"It is isn't it? I just hope they're no snakes this time."

Beckett stifled a laugh remembering the time when it had been almost like this, she had been ready to play coy with him and remove her shirt when a rattle snake had come near Castle and she had to scare it off with a bullet that pierced the ground beside it.

"So," said Castle, "how did I do on your Valentine's present?"

"Well it's not Valentine's yet but so far I'm impressed," Beckett said with a smile. Castle smiled back and the two remained silent but only for a second. "You never stop doing that do you?"

"Doing what?"

"Impressing me."

Castle reached over and took Beckett's freehand. "And I never will."

Beckett smiled back. "So what do you say wanna go back inside and finish what we started?"

"Or we could start something entirely new, maybe a little strip poker."

"Oh strip poker sounds fun but only if we revise the rules a bit, shirts off before we deal."

"I like that rule," Castle said with a large grin.

Again Beckett smiled.

The two of them cleared up their spot near the fire thoroughly in case there were any wolves or bears in the area or other animals that might try to come sniffing around for a free meal.

Once it was clean and the fire was put out the couple made their way inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4**

The kitchen circulated with various aromas as Castle smiled to himself; pleased with what work he had done to complete the final touches on the tray.

He carefully walked back to the bedroom with the contents and smiled as he watched his wife sleeping soundly.

Beckett stirred as the appetizing odors reached her senses. She awoke to Castle standing over her. She smiled at him, the scene all too familiar but unlike the last time there would be no case to solve or impending bomb to stand on.

Today was all about them with nothing to ruin the day.

Castle placed the tray on the side end table and took a seat near Beckett's feet.

"Morning," he said as Beckett came to a seated position.

"Morning," she replied.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Castle said as he leaned in to kiss her.

Beckett welcomed the kiss deeply being the one two unlock their mouths so that their tongues could slide inside each other easily.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she replied.

"You realize this is our first Valentine's as a married couple," Castle said as a matter-of-fact.

"Oh really and what gave you that insight?"

"Well," he said taking her left hand in his, playing with her wedding ring, "There is the matter that you're bound to me for all eternity."

"Eternity hu, so one lifetime with me isn't enough?"

"Never," he answered.

Beckett smiled, "Good," she said as she went in for another kiss, this one a little bit gentler than the first. "Me neither."

Castle stood up and walked over to get the cups of espresso that were on the tray. He handed one to Beckett as he took back his seat on the bed. Beckett smiled as she saw the heart shaped foam.

She took a sip and then set it back down.

"Wait here," she said to him as she walked over to one of the dressers that had yet to be used.

There were two wrapped boxes but Beckett only took one of them out. The other would be for later.

She handed the box to Castle.

"Hold on," said Castle, "If we're exchanging presents now, I think it's only fair that the wife goes first," he said as he reached under his pillow for a box he had stashed when he'd woken up.

Beckett smiled and took a seat as she took the box from him. As she opened it, she wasn't sure how to feel. She hadn't expected much but this wasn't it.

"A copy of 'Heat Wave'," she asked with some slight trepidation as she pulled the book out of the box, "Rick, you shouldn't have."

Castle smiled having all ready anticipated that response. "Open the book," he urged.

Beckett looked at him with some confusion but did as he asked. The first two pages were blank, the third page had the book title, the fourth page had the book title plus her husbands' name, the publishing company and where it was published, the fifth page contained the dedication 'To the extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12th'. It still sent butterflies flying in Beckett's stomach every time she read it along with the many other dedications in the Nikki Heat novels he had made to her. The sixth page contained the title.

After flipping the sixth page, the rest of the book was hollowed out- the outlines of the remainder pages glued tightly together. In the hollow space was a thin velvet box that fit perfectly inside it. Beckett gently lifted the lid and inside laid a silver bracelet clad with various charms which Beckett pulled out to examine.

In that time Castle had moved closer to her. "The book charm represents your ruggedly handsome of a husband, the cop shield charm represents you of course and the birthstones are yours, mine and Alexis'. I figure we could add more once we have kids of our own."

Beckett remained silent. She looked lovingly into her husband's eyes and reached up to kiss him, their lips meeting.

"I love it," she said, "Thank you."

Beckett no longer needed to ask why Castle had hollowed out a copy of 'Heat Wave'. It made perfect sense to her. While she had long been a fan of Derrick Storm, it had been Nikki Heat that had drawn them together. One case and their brief partnership should have been over but instead after shadowing her around, Castle had gotten the idea to base his next character off her. Still, she could never have imagined that after Derrick Storm she would be his muse, a term she no longer minded. 'Heat Wave' in particular was special to the both of them, not only for the dedication but for what followed long after: he was now completing his seventh book and they were together finally.

Beckett picked up the box that Castle had on the side of the bed, "Your turn," she said as she handed it to him.

Castle took the box and shook it. Clearly there was nothing breakable inside. He eagerly tore the blue wrapping paper and found a white box. He cut the sides of tape off like a pro and took off the lid and then removed the lining of tissue paper, pulling out a leather street jacket.

"Turn it over," Beckett said with a smile on her face.

Castle's eyes widened and his mouth formed an 'o' shape. In the center of the jacket was an embroidered Batman symbol in which the zipper went down the middle.

"I am so wearing this to our next case!" Castle said happily.

Beckett smiled, "Then I guess we're taking the bike to work."

Again Castle's mouth dropped, "The bike as in your bike as in-,"

"Yes as in my 1994 Harley Softail."

"Sweet, can I steer?"

Beckett shook her head, "No one steers my bike but me but check the side pocket of the jacket."

Castle did so revealing an envelope which he opened. "You got me motorcycle lessons?"

Beckett nodded and Castle put their boxed gifts on the floor so they wouldn't be in the way. He scooted closer to her.

"Best wife ever," he whispered when their mouths were just inches apart.

Beckett smiled and laughed some as she let her husband in, the breakfast on the tray and the cups of espresso having long been forgotten.

* * *

"It's so peaceful out here," Beckett said as she and her husband walked arm in arm near the creek several hours later.

"Completely different than back home hu," said Castle.

"Even different than our place in the Hamptons," Beckett replied.

"Good different or bad?"

"Good different. No traffic, no neighbors. Kind of feels like we're the only ones on the planet right now. I mean I know the town is fifteen miles away but with all of the hills and turns you wouldn't know it."

"That's the beauty of it. I thought about finding a place in Texas because of it."

"Texas, really?"

"I swear by my pretty floral bonnet," said Castle.

"You're not wearing a bonnet," said Beckett.

"I know it's a saying."

"No it's not."

"Huh, then maybe it should be. My point is I researched places in Texas before deciding on our place here. It's beautiful down south. Endless rolling hills, middle of nowhere cattle ranching and agricultural towns."

"What stopped you?"

"What do you think, can you imagine the smell of Texas livestock in a Texas summer where it gets up to 120 degrees and then the Texas winds make it feel so much hotter. No thanks. This was so much better. Not too hot, not too cold."

"The goldilocks zone," Beckett said with a smile.

"Exactly and we still get breathtaking views."

"I look forward to coming back," Beckett said as she squeezed his arm.

"So Mrs. Castle, is this Valentine's Day everything you imagined?"

"Not even close," Beckett replied, "I couldn't have imagined you whisking me on a Valentine's getaway. I still can't believe you talked Gates into it. How did you manage that anyways?"

"Well it wasn't that hard. She is kind of warming up to me and after I told her that she wouldn't have to see me on Valentine's Day."

Beckett laughed remembering the fiasco of their first Valentine's when Castle had gotten their blazers mixed up and had put her gift in the wrong one. Gates certainly had a field day with that one. Castle had certainly made up for it on Valentine's night and then the next day when he took her to a jewelry shop for earrings and a necklace which he let Beckett pick out and made sure that Beckett got it directly so there would be no second mix up.

"Even if it did mean," Castle said as he continued, "that her best detective would be out. She's really coming around to the fact that we're a package deal and not just because we're married. "

A smile crossed Beckett's face as she let those words sink in: a package deal. That was certainly one way to describe their partnership. She could still remember back to when Gates was new at the precinct, semi-new anyways since Beckett hadn't met the new Captain due to her three month disability, and how despite she and Castle being at odds how wrong it felt to be at the precinct without him so Castle had used his friendship with the mayor to get Gates into letting him come back.

And on her end several cases later when they were investigating a case involving Atlantic City she had been forced to work without Castle and work with Gates instead but throughout the case she had dropped subtle hints about how good Castle was and Gates had caught on.

Gates still busted Castle's chops but it was shifting in such a way that it was more out of playful teasing instead of the actual annoyance that she held previously toward the somewhat famous writer.

Content in their silent reflections, the couple continued to walk near the creek, satisfied in the serenity of the still, fresh air, birds off in the distance, the slight crunching beneath their feet and the gurgling sound of the water.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**_Sorry that it took a while to update. _**

**_RL got in the way and at the same time I wanted to do this chapter justice._**

**_[P.S.]_**

**_I hope you liked the little 'Firefly' reference I made. That's one of the things_**

**_I love about the show, the fact that they add those in and I thought it would_**

**_be perfect to add in one of my own._**

**_[P.S.2]_**

**_I hope you enjoy the final, up coming chapter._**

**_This has all been leading up to the final moments which _**

**_have been part of the story since it was conceived in_**

**_my mind. I think you'll find it filled with loads of_**

**_romance as well as some fun moments that _**

**_are fit for our two lovely nerds. :^)_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

"Castle what are you even doing down there," Beckett called from the upstairs loft, dressed in an outfit that Castle had hung behind the door much earlier in the day.

* * *

Their afternoon had been relatively pleasant. After their walk along the creek they thought it would be fun to drive the fifteen miles into town. There they had spent an hour walking in and out of the few shops that lined main street which had been nice but given the day what they really wanted was some alone time so they had gone back to the cabin.

They hadn't even yet made it to the porch when they started making out and when they did make it inside they only got as far as the living room and not even to the couch.

After a short time of love making, Castle had thought it would be nice to take their little party to the upstairs loft and so they did. Both their bodies completely bare, they made their way upstairs and stood in front of the main window in the loft bedroom.

So many times Castle had seen his wife in all her natural beauty and he was still amazed. He had gently pushed back her hair so that it opened up a view to her shoulders.

The electricity Beckett felt when Castle touched her skin was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She hadn't been a virgin when they'd met but her body hadn't acted the way it did with him either. And in the countless times of their love making since their first time together, his touch on her body, the way he lightly caressed the skin on her shoulders with one hand, making a curving motion to her hips, lingering on the tattoo she had just below her pants line and lightly stroking her breast with his other hand, never had she felt so comfortable and so ease with a man before.

She had had other partners but she'd never loved them. She had constantly held back out of fear of complete intimacy that went beyond sex and out of the notion that with her mother's death she could never really let go and embrace life. Castle was different. By some miracle, maybe even fate, he had gotten through. He had broken through her walls. The moment she had shown up on his doorstep she had let go and embraced him completely. She had allowed herself to be loved, to be taken into his bed and had allowed him see her for all that she was in the shadows of the rainy night.

It was that sense of security that she felt that had her standing in the loft. It went beyond the fact that she was a wife and he was her husband. As he took her by the waist and brought them in close, she could feel as her loins began to pulse, the wetness seeping out, her body ready for him. She could feel that he was ready for her as well. Beckett was used to the feeling but it still elicited a sense of awe that transformed into an almost spiritual like state of being- how two people could be so compatible that it was more than just sex, their bodies coming together, the sharing of souls.

Their bodies connected, Castle lifted his wife up, and Beckett wrapping her legs around him completely; they made their way to the bed and continued in their magical dance.

* * *

Castle came to the doorway. For a second his mouth dropped as he saw Beckett wearing the single right sided strap floor length red dress with a slit near the leg. It looked absolutely stunning on her. Red was certainly her color.

Castle looked pretty fine himself, wearing a simple tux and red tie to match.

"What?" Beckett asked with a smile.

"You look absolutely incredible Mrs. Castle," he whispered softly.

"You're looking pretty handsome there yourself Mr. Castle."

Castle offered up his arm which Beckett took. "You ready?"

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Beckett asked despite having some inkling. It was hard not to imagine what Castle was up to downstairs especially as the smell of roses and lavender began wafting upstairs.

"You'll see," Castle said as the couple walked out of the room.

* * *

They made their way downstairs to the kitchen slash dining room. A row of rose petals lined the floor that led directly into their bedroom. It was dimly lit with soft lamps and candles which fit the mood perfectly. Covered dishes remained on the table and glasses of the wine that Castle had bought in town were filled at relatively minimal level.

In the background an instrumental version of their wedding song "In My Veins" by Andrew Belle was playing softly.

"Babe, I don't even-," Beckett said as she fumbled for the words to describe the setting.

"Good thing we're not in New York otherwise I would have managed to screw this day up."

Beckett let out a small laugh as Castle walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. "M'lady."

Beckett smiled as she took her seat. Castle removed the lids from the plates to reveal a meal of cooked salmon, salad and French rolls.

Once they were both seated Castle lifted his glass of wine. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said.

Beckett brought her glass to his, the sounds making a clinking noise, "Best Valentine's Weekend Ever."

Castle and Beckett smiled at each other for a moment before turning to their lavish dinner as they proceeded with the rest of their evening.

* * *

**~END~**

**_Author's Note: _**

_Not where I had intended this to end but it seemed like the perfect place _

_so the other final scene, I have decided to include as a deleted scene instead._


End file.
